Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a clamping device, and more specifically, to a clamping device for holding a conduit in a position, for example, to a combustor-can of turbomachines.
Clamping devices are used for holding an object, such as a conduit, disposed on a fixture such as a frame. Conventional clamping devices include at least a bush and a clamp for holding a conduit to the fixture. Typically, the bush is disposed directly over the conduit and the clamp is mounted on the bush and coupled to the fixture. Generally, the bush is made of metal wires to tightly clamp the pipe to the fixture.
During operation of a system, such as a gas turbine system, employing such a clamping device for holding a conduit to a frame, there may be longitudinal or radial movements between contacting surfaces (i.e., interfacing surfaces) of the bush and the conduit. Such movements result in developing a fretting wear at the interfacing surfaces. The fretting wear is a surface damage caused by the movements of two contacting surfaces under the presence of load. The fretting wear may result in generating wire debris from the bush and retention of such wire debris at the interfacing surfaces, thereby further damaging the bush or the conduit. In such situations, the clamp and/or the bush may need to be replaced during periodic inspection. The conventional clamps used in the gas turbine system have complex geometries and require sophisticated manufacturing capabilities for their production. Similarly, the bush is generally made of expensive thin metal wires. Periodic replacement of such clamps and bushes increase the production costs as well as the service costs. Further, the conventional clamping devices are generally rigid clamping devices, which are not flexible enough to absorb the vibrations of the conduit and/or the frame under the presence of a load. Accordingly, there is a need for an enhanced clamping device for holding a conduit to a frame.